By BAKER ELLIS / Sports Editor

The Oak Mountain High School baseball team will have a new face manning the helm for the 2016 season. Brian Breeze, the head coach of the Eagles from 2011-2015, will not return as the head baseball coach for the 2016 season.

This announcement comes on the heels of the Eagles’ season, which culminated on April 20 with a win against Spain Park. Oak Mountain amassed an 18-15-2 record this season and missed the 7A playoffs. Oak Mountain plays in Area 5 of class 7A, which was one of the hardest in the state this season. The Eagles finished third this season in their area, behind 7A No. 3 Thompson and No. 6 Hoover. Adjacent to Oak Mountain, in Area 6, are Vestavia Hills, Mountain Brook and Spain Park, who finished the season ranked first, second and fifth in 7A to make up unquestionably the toughest region in the state.

Oak Mountain principal Dr. Kristi Sayers did not have a timeline for when the next hire will be made. “We have begun a search,” Sayers said. ”The position will be a teaching position as well as a coaching position.”

Sayers went on to say, “Coach Breeze has done a fabulous job and will continue to be a member of our community.”

In his first year as head coach, Breeze led Oak Mountain to a 6A second-round playoff appearance, where the Eagles lost to Hoover in three games. That was the farthest the Eagles ever went in the state tournament under Breeze’s reign, however, and Oak Mountain consistently hovered around .500 during the rest of his tenure.

As the head coach at Oak Mountain, Breeze led the Eagles to a 90-82-1 cumulative record.

As of 3 p.m. on April 29, Breeze had not returned a call seeking comment.